North Central - Collaborating for Progress

Public and private sectors combine forces to spur economic growth in North Central Florida.

The newly created North Florida Broadband Authority represents the effort of nearly two dozen government entities in four counties and eight cities to secure a $30-million grant aimed at providing middle-mile broadband capacity to the unserved and underserved areas of North Central Florida.

Robert Sheets, a private-sector consultant and CEO of Government Services Group who served as the point person in bringing together the governmental bodies, says that it was the region's strong, unified identity that caught the attention of Federal Stimulus Grant reviewers at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"None of these counties or cities had the resources alone to qualify — much less stand out among the competition — for these grant dollars," says Sheets. "There were 2,250 applications for the first round. These local governments voted to create the Authority in less than three weeks."

"This is more than a regional business/government effort," says Jeff Hendry, executive director of the North Florida Economic Development Partnership. "It truly is a comprehensive community effort that included support and commitment from political leaders and businesses, community colleges and universities, libraries, rural hospitals and numerous community groups. Nearly 70 letters of support were submitted representing every sector of the region."

This initiative does not compete with commercial providers. Rather, it allows the development and enhancement of existing access to high-speed connectivity and provides a substantial economic development boost to the entire region. Businesses as diverse as manufacturing, logistics and distribution, agriculture, technology, medical and healthcare research, development and public safety all require reliable broadband access. The North Florida Broadband Authority will provide all the partners with strengthened opportunities to connect to their futures.

Leaders from the University of Florida (UF) and Gainesville broke ground in 2010 on the Florida Innovation Hub, a business "super incubator" designed to promote the development of new high-tech companies based on UF research.

Funded through an $8.2-million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) and $5 million from the university, the 45,000-square-foot facility, slated for completion by fall 2011, will be the first of many buildings in a proposed research park called Innovation Square.

The facility on Southwest Second Avenue in Gainesville is unique because, in addition to providing offices, laboratory space and shared equipment areas for high-tech startup companies, it will house UF's Office of Technology Licensing and UF Tech Connect, the university's main commercialization offices.

"This facility maximizes the incubator concept by bringing together all the elements needed for commercialization to succeed," says Win Phillips, UF's vice president for research, noting that businesses located in incubators are four times more likely to succeed.

University officials envision the Innovation Hub as a place where entrepreneurs, scientists, investors and students will gather to share ideas that lead to new opportunities.

"This 'super incubator' is indicative of the collaborative spirit and forward-looking, regional approach to economic development that EDA is focused on advancing," says John Fernandez, assistant secretary for economic development in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The project also will serve as the anchor for Innovation Square, the realization of ambitious plans to create a research park by developing the rest of the block over the next decade. Innovation Square is viewed as an important component of the city of Gainesville's plans for the Southwest Second Avenue corridor that connects the university with downtown.

"We intend Innovation Square as the last major piece [of the corridor], finally bridging UF and downtown Gainesville," explains UF President Bernie Machen. "We believe what will rise here is a neighborhood of homes, offices and retail outlets — a happy merger of downtown, the tech community and the university."

Fernandez adds that the project "will expand the entire region's knowledge-based economy and advance Gainesville's reputation as a national hub for green and health technologies."

A Goto Chronos
projector — the first of just two in Florida — brings night sky images to life at Kika Silva Pla Planetarium, Santa Fe College. [Photo: PodarCo Photography]